1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image recording/reproducing apparatus and its method, and more particularly, is suitably applied, for example, to a recording/reproducing system for recording and reproducing a desired still image within a moving image.
2. Description of the Related Art
As a recording/reproducing system of the type mentioned above, a camera built-in type video tape recorder (hereinafter referred to as the xe2x80x9ccamcoderxe2x80x9d) is connected to a personal computer by a predetermined cable. In such a recording/reproducing system, to record one desired frame which is in moving image data recorded, for example, on a magnetic tape, first the camcoder reproduces the moving image data from the magnetic tape, and then sends the moving image data to the personal computer. The personal computer extracts the desired frame from the moving image data sent thereto from the camcoder, and stores this in an internal memory as still image data.
For the recording/reproducing system configured as above, since the user must previously connect the camcoder with the personal computer by the predetermined cable, a complicated connecting operation is required. Also, this type of recording/reproducing system forces the user to separately manipulate the camcoder and the personal computer even after these two components have been connected. This gives difficulties in improving the operability.
In view of the foregoing, an object of this invention is to provide an image recording/reproducing apparatus and its method which is capable of highly improving the operability as compared with the prior art.
The foregoing object and other objects of the invention have been achieved by the provision of an image recording/reproducing apparatus and its method in which, a moving image inputted through image input/output means is recorded in moving image recording means in order to reproduce a moving image from the moving image recording means in response to a request from the user. This is comprised of still image extracting means for extracting a still image designated by the user from a moving image inputted through the image input/output means or from a moving image reproduced from the moving image recording means, and still image recording means for recording said still image extracted from the still image extracting means.
A still image designated by the user is extracted from a moving image inputted through the image input/output means or from a moving image reproduced by the moving image recording means, and the extracted still image is recorded on the still image recording means; thereby making it possible to readily extract and record a still image from a moving image without interconnecting a plurality of devices as required in the prior art.
The nature, principle and utility of the invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawing in which like parts are designated by like reference numerals or characters.